I am Ashurbanipal, King of the World, King of Assyria

CaixaForum Madrid is hosting an exhibition from 9 April to 4 October 2026, organised in collaboration with The British Museum, which takes visitors on a journey through the life and influence of one of the most powerful men of his time: Ashurbanipal, the last of the great kings of Assyria. This exhibition offers a journey through the complex and powerful figure of Ashurbanipal (ruler between 669 and 631 BC), one of the most enigmatic and forgotten figures of ancient times. Featuring more than 150 objects from the British Museum Collection, the exhibition covers his reign as the turning point of the Assyrian Empire, his military skill, his role as a scholar and his cultural legacy. Through reliefs, sculptures, ivories and luxury items, visitors can enter the king’s symbolic and political world, discover his cuneiform library, which seeks to accumulate all existing knowledge and understand the tensions of power, diplomacy and violence that marked his reign. The title of the exhibition, I am Ashurbanipal, asserts his historical presence, challenging his invisibility today. The exhibition also reflects on the preservation of cultural heritage in areas of conflict and the importance of connecting the past with memories of the present. Through an informative approach, this exhibition highlights the need to understand ancient empires in order to better interpret human history. Image Credits: Replica of a mural bas-relief in acrylic resin, 645-640 BC. 1856,0909.46 (CRM.2391) © The Trustees of the British Museum Ivory head that is part of an openwork ivory panel, blackened due to fire, 800-600 BC, South East Palace, Nimrud (Iraq). N.881 © The Trustees of the British Museum Copper bowl decorated with four pairs of winged falcon-headed sphinxes, 645-640 BC, North West Palace, Nimrud (Iraq). N.9 © The Trustees of the British Museum Decorated Tridachna squamosa shell used as a cosmetic container, 800-600 BC, Sippar (Iraq). 1882,0918.14352 © The Trustees of the British Museum Grey basalt head of a roaring lion, 9th century BC, Carcamos (border between Syria and Turkey). 1927,1114.5 © The Trustees of the British Museum